Surface condenser



Feb. 5', 1946. s. PENNELLA SURFACE CONDENSER Filed March 20, 1943 Samfial Pannalla Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

SURFACE CONDENSER SamueLPennella, East Orange, N. 'J.

AppIicationMarch20, 1943, Serial No. 479,831

2 Claims.

This invention relates to surface condensers and more particularly to means for and a manner of mounting the tubes in the tube sheets *or tube heads of a condenser.

It is the universally accepted practice, in condenser construction to seal-=thewater circulating tubes at the tube heads to provide fluid-tight connection either by rolling the ends of the tubes or by employing a combination of packing and ferrules threaded intothe tube heads. The rolling of the tube ends frequently causes local crystallization of the tubes resulting 'in relatively quick deterioration of the tubes and also an expensive operation in re-tubing a condenser both as to labor cost and loss of tubes. With the threaded ferrule type of mounting, one such structure of which is shown in my earlier Patent No. 2,298,154, issued October 6, 1942, it is necessary to thread both the tube sheet and the ferrule and since commercial condensers usually contain thousands of such tubes this is an expensive operation. Further, such ferrules require special tools and a relatively large labor cost to install them in a condenser.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple relatively inexpensive quickly installed type of ferrule and packing combination by means ofwhich condenser tubes may be sealed in tight connection with condenser tube sheets, thereby materially reducing the cost of tubing or retubing a condenser as well as reducing the labor and time element required for such work.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ferrule and packing structure which is particularly adaptable for use in condensers constructed in accordance with my invention disclosed in said patent, No. 2,298,154, in that it will permit the driving of the tubes through the packing or sealed structure for renewal of the inlet ends of the tubes without disrupting the seal.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from the accompanying specification, the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first.

described in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing a surface condenser of the preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a condenser constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section through the combined ferrule and packin-g structure showing it assemble-din "connection with a condenser tube and tube sheets.

Figure 3 is a detailed view'partly insecti'on and partly in elevation of the improved ferrule 'employed in the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross section through a modified form of this invention.

ploying t'ube heads or tube sheets? and '3. and

the tubes 4- through "which the cooling water circulates for condensing the steam Wh'IChiS delivered to the condenser.

The present invention relates specifically to the manner of holding the tubes 4 .in the tube sheets or heads '2 and 3 and forming a fluid-tight seal between the tubes and tube heads. so as to prevent water from leaking from thewater boxes of the condenser past the tubes into the condensing space and polluting the condensate as well as to prevent air from passing into the condensing space with the resulting pollution of the condensate.

As is usual, in the construction of condensers the tube-sheets 2 and 3 are provided with openings or holes 5' through which the tubes 4 extend and these holes 5 are countersunk as shown at 6 providing enlarged portions of the holes and annular shoulders I at the inner ends of the countersinks.

A fiber ring 8 is first inserted in the countersunk portions 6 of each of the holes 5 against the shoulders I, and next a packing 9 of coiled corset lacing is inserted in the countersunk portion against the fiber rings 8. A second fiber ring [0 is then inserted into the countersunk portions 6 of the openings 5 against the outer ends of the corset lacing packing 9 after which a ferrule structure II is driven into the outer open end of the countersunk portion. The ferrule H has metal sleeve I2 having an annular flange M on its outer end and the internal diameter of the sleeve [2 is such as to snugly fit over the tube 4. A sleeve I5 of highly compressed fiber which will swell when wetted is tightly driven upon the outer surface of the sleeve I2 of the ferrule I l, and the outer diameter of this fiber sleeve 15 is such that it will require administration of relatively light forces to drive it into the countersunk portion of the opening 5. The ferrule II is of suificient length that when it is properly driven into place about a condenser tube.

in the countersunk portion 6 it will hold the fiber washers 8 and I and the corset lacing packing 9 snugly in place, and when the fiber sleeve l and the fiber rings 8 and ID are wetted, as they will be upon the initial starting of operation of the'condenser, it will swell so as to form fluidtight sealing engagement with the bore, of the countersunk portion 6' and with the outer surface of the tube 4. g

'If it is so desired, and in fact it is preferable, a portion of the length of the wall of the counterbe roughened as shown at l6. This roughening V or similar heat exchanger as shown 'at4 in Figr V sunk portion 6 inwardly of its outer open end may. 7

may take the form of threads or any suitable type of roughening preferably sinuous groove so as to provide an irregular surface into which the fiber sleeve IE will expand upon'swelling'to forma more secure fluid-tight seal about the tube 4 and between the tube and tube sheet.

It will be understood. that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be widely modified within the invention defined b the claims. r V 1 In Figure 4.0f the drawing a modified formof the ferrule is shown which differs from the structure shown ,in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive onlyin that the sleeve l5 of compressed fiber which will swell when wetted is shorter than the metal sleeve 7 I 2', providing a space indicated at 2,0 at the inner 7 end of the fiber ring I5 and betweenthe fiber ring l0 so as to accommodate longitudinal'expansion of the fiber ring [5 without causing disruption of the complete packing assembly. '7 In Figures 5 and 6 a further modified form of the invention is shown. I

In this'latter modified form afianged sleeve l2" which has an annular outer fiange i4" is employed which is substantially of the same construction as'the metal sleeve 12 and flange M. A fiber sleeve 30 is employed in this latter modified form and replaces the fiber sleeve I S-and fiber ring l0 providing a single fiber element reure 2, while the remaining portion of the sleeve is bored to fit snugly about the metal sleeve l2". The bore 32 which fits about the metal sleeve l2" is longer than the sleeve so as to provide a space 33 between the inner end of the sleeve l2 and 'the shoulder 34 formed at the junction of the bores 3| and 32, thus providing a space to accommodate longitudinal expansion'of fiber sleeve 30 when it is wetted. r f

What is claimed is: V

V 1. In a surface condenser, tube sheets, water circulating tubes, said tube sheets provided with countersunk holes tofreceive the ends of said tubes, the inner surface of at least part of the countersunk portions of said holes being roughcirculating tubes, said tube sheets provided with:

countersunk holes to receive the ends" of said tubes, the inner surface of at least part of the countersunk portions of said holes being roughened, seal-forming ferrules inserted into the countersunk portions of said holes about said 7 tubes, said ferrules including metal carrying. sleeves, fiber sleeves about said carrying bodies,

' said fiber sleeves being made of highly compressed fiber which Will swell uponwetting to, provide fluid-tight seals between the ferrules and the roughened portions of the openings, said fiber sleeves having a portion of their lengths bored to one diameter to fit about saidtubes, and the replacing the two elements and consequently facilitating the assembly of the packing structure The fiber ring so is drilled or bored to two airferent diameters, namely, the bore 3| is of such 7 sizeas to fit snugly about a tube of a condenser maining portion bored to fit about said metal carrying sleeves, the portion of the sleeve bored to fit about said carryingsleeves being longer than the carrying sleeve to provide a'space to permit longitudinal swelling of the sleeve upon wetting.-

, SAMUEL PENNELLA. I 

